ManyRequests is a solid platform. It was one of the first tools built specifically for productized agencies, and it does subscription billing and client request management well.
But if you've been using ManyRequests for a while — or you're evaluating it for the first time — you've probably noticed a few things that don't quite fit.
Maybe you need to send contracts during onboarding and ManyRequests doesn't have that built in. Maybe you're tired of paying per user as your team grows. Or maybe your clients keep complaining about having to create yet another account just to submit feedback.
If any of that sounds familiar, this post is for you.
Where ManyRequests works well
Let's be fair. ManyRequests does several things right, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise.
Request management is its bread and butter. If you run a productized agency where clients submit design requests, content briefs, or development tickets through a queue, ManyRequests handles that workflow beautifully. The Kanban views, customizable request forms, and queue-based prioritization are genuinely well built.
Subscription billing is deeply integrated. ManyRequests was designed for recurring revenue agencies from day one. If your entire business model is monthly retainers with unlimited requests, the billing infrastructure is mature and reliable.
The client portal is polished. Clients can log in, track their requests, and communicate with your team. The white-labeling options are comprehensive.
Where agencies start looking for alternatives
Here's where the gaps show up — and they tend to show up once your agency grows beyond the "just managing requests" phase.
1. No built-in contracts or e-signatures
When a new client signs up, you probably need them to sign a contract. With ManyRequests, that means integrating DocuSign or PandaDoc — adding another tool, another monthly bill, and another step in your workflow that lives outside your client portal.
TryApprove has built-in contract creation and e-signatures. You create a contract, your client signs it directly in their portal, and it's all recorded in the same platform where you'll manage their project. No third-party tools, no Zapier workarounds.
2. Clients need to create accounts
This is the one that surprises people. In ManyRequests, your clients need to create an account with a username and password to access their portal. For some agencies this is fine. But for many, it creates friction.
Your client is a busy marketing director who works with five agencies. They don't want another login to remember. They want to click a link, see the work, and approve it.
TryApprove uses magic links. When you create a project, your client automatically receives an email with a secure link to their portal. They click it and they're in. No signup, no password, no "forgot password" flow. If you're curious about why this matters so much, we wrote about why clients should never need an account to approve work.
3. Per-user pricing gets expensive fast
ManyRequests uses per-user pricing, which means your bill grows linearly with your team. Hire a project manager, a designer, and a developer? That's three more seats on your monthly bill.
TryApprove doesn't charge per user. The Pro plan at $29/month and the Agency plan at $79/month include team collaboration without nickel-and-diming you for every seat.
4. No intake questionnaires or onboarding workflow
ManyRequests has request forms — which are great for ongoing task submissions — but it doesn't have a structured client onboarding flow. There's no built-in way to send an intake questionnaire, share welcome documents, or schedule a kickoff call as part of a new client's first experience.
TryApprove covers the entire onboarding workflow: contracts, questionnaires, welcome docs, and kickoff calls. When your client opens their portal for the first time, they see everything they need to get started — not just a blank request queue.
5. Limited visual feedback
ManyRequests added proofing tools for design and video assets, which is a good start. But TryApprove's annotation system goes deeper — clients can drop pins directly on images, PDFs, videos, and even live websites. Each pin becomes a threaded discussion, so feedback stays attached to the exact pixel or timestamp it refers to.
No more "the thing on the left needs to be bigger" in a text comment. Your client literally points at what they mean.
Feature comparison: ManyRequests vs TryApprove
| Feature | TryApprove | ManyRequests |
|---|---|---|
| White-label client portal | ✅ | ✅ |
| Client access without signup | ✅ Magic link | ❌ Account required |
| Built-in contracts & e-signatures | ✅ | ❌ |
| Intake questionnaires | ✅ | ✅ Request forms |
| Welcome docs & kickoff calls | ✅ | ❌ |
| Visual annotations (images, PDFs, video, websites) | ✅ | ✅ Design & video proofing |
| One-click approvals | ✅ | ✅ |
| Invoicing | ✅ | ✅ Subscription billing |
| Team chat | ✅ Built-in | ❌ |
| Kanban board | ✅ | ✅ |
| Version history | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pricing | Free / $29 Pro / $79 Agency | ~$49+ per user/month |
| Lifetime deal available | ✅ | ❌ |
Who should stay with ManyRequests
If your agency runs a pure productized model — clients pay a monthly subscription, submit unlimited requests through a queue, and your team works through them in order — ManyRequests was literally built for that workflow. It's good at it.
If you need deep Zapier/API integrations with dozens of other tools, ManyRequests has a more mature integration ecosystem.
Who should switch to TryApprove
If your agency needs more than request management — if you want to handle the entire client journey from contract signing to final invoice in one platform — TryApprove is the better fit.
Specifically, switch if:
- You want clients to access their portal without creating an account
- You need built-in contracts and e-signatures (not a DocuSign add-on)
- You want structured client onboarding with questionnaires and welcome docs
- You're tired of per-user pricing that scales with your headcount
- You want invoicing, approvals, and project management in one dashboard
Try it yourself
TryApprove is free to start with up to 2 projects — no credit card required. You can set up a project, send a client their portal link, and see the full workflow in about five minutes.
If you're migrating from ManyRequests, the setup is straightforward: create your projects, add your team, and your clients will receive their portal access automatically. Most agencies are fully switched over in an afternoon.